


But He's My Friend

by CheapEasyNoodle



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M, there's like sliiiight tokioto but lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-03-05 17:00:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13392240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheapEasyNoodle/pseuds/CheapEasyNoodle
Summary: Good friends tease you about your crushes. Best friends help you get with your crush only to realize they've been in love with you this whole time.Or maybe that was just Syo.





	1. Chapter 1

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Syo was counting down the seconds for class to be over. This week had really taken a toll on him; being in S Class meant never-ending idol work and while he genuinely enjoyed it, it wore him out to no end. But it was the end of the week, he had just turned in his last assignment and he was ready for the weekend to start. Natsuki was going to visit his family for the weekend so Syo had the dorm all to himself, and as excited as he was for hitting the gym or rewatching _Prince of Fighting_ what he was really looking forward to was being able to sleep in for the first time since being at the academy. He loved — well, tolerated — being roommates with Natsuki, he really did, but waking up at the crack of dawn just so he could put glasses on the taller boy wasn’t exactly his definition of fun, not that he had a choice unless he wanted to be woken up by Satsuki.

He was so distracted with the wonderful thought of being able to sleep in past 10 a.m. that he didn’t realize that class had ended until he felt someone take his hat off.

“Oi, shortie, class is over. Did you fall asleep?” he heard Ren say. Syo quickly got up and tried to get his hat back, but unfortunately for him, Ren was holding it above his head, out of reach. Syo just sighed and began packing up his stuff.

“I wasn’t asleep, and don’t call me shortie, and give me my hat back!” he shouted as he shoved all of his books into his bag.

Ren just laughed as he twirled Syo’s hat in his hand. “What’s got you in such a rush?” Syo could tell by the tone in his voice that he didn’t really care, it was just Ren’s sole purpose in life to annoy Syo as much as humanly possible without making it obvious to anyone but themselves. Unfortunately for Ren, Syo was in a great mood and it would take a lot more to upset him. He grabbed his hat before Ren could put it out of reach again and began running off.

“See you Monday!” he said cheerfully before picking up speed and heading off towards his dorm. _Finally, the weekend!_ he thought to himself. Lost in his own thoughts he quickly turned left at the corner and crashed into an unsuspecting Otoya, causing Otoya, an innocent victim of Syo’s violent crimes, to fall down.

“Crap, I’m sorry!” Syo apologized before quickly helping Otoya get up. “I shouldn’t have been running in the halls, are you hurt?”

Otoya brushed himself off before smiling at Syo. “Nope, I’m fine! I was just surprised is all. I’m glad I bumped into you though!”

“Oh? How come?” he asked, completely forgetting about his action movie marathon he had planned and wondering why this boy would suddenly be interested in him. He silently prayed that Otoya wouldn’t ask to help him cook again, for fear of Natsuki miraculously overhearing and making both of them pay the price.

“Well, I realized we don’t really hang out a lot, I mean I know we’re not in the same class or anything but Natsuki always talks about how cool you are and you really do seem cool so I was wondering if you aren’t too busy this weekend maybe you would wanna hang out? Wait! Tokiya said your class was working on projects right? Maybe next weekend? Or whenever! Actually how about-“

“Oi, oi, slow down a bit. You’re talking too fast,” Syo interrupted. He just couldn’t watch this poor boy keep going. “We just finished our projects, I’m free all weekend, so don’t you come to my dorm later? I’m gonna marathon _Prince of Fighting_ tonight and it would be more fun with company! We’ll stay up all night!”

“ _Prince of..?_ Oh! I’ve heard of that!” Otoya said, his bright smile returning to his face. “I’ve always wanted to watch it! Is it really okay if I come over?”

Syo nodded and enthusiastically replied, “Yeah! Natsuki’s going home this weekend so there’s no problem! Come over at around 8 okay?”

“Okay! I’m so excited! I’ll see you then!” Otoya smiled one more time before walking off. Syo continued his walk towards his room, this time being more careful to not crash into anyone else. When he arrived at his dorm he was greeted with the lovely sight of…a complete mess.

_Damn Natsuki,_ he thought to himself. Natsuki’s clothes were everywhere; he had probably rushed that morning to pack everything at once and left this huge mess behind. Syo sighed before reaching for his phone to look at the time. His screen lit up and flashed a bright _3:38 p.m_., giving him a little over four hours to clean the place up and get himself ready. Lucky for him he never seemed to run out of energy, so he quickly got to work. Folding and putting away Natsuki’s clothes took longer than expected, but he felt accomplished when he was finally done. His room looked spotless and he decided he had enough time to take a shower. After all, he didn’t want his first sleepover with Otoya to fail because he smelled funny.

Syo was putting on his pajamas when he heard an over-enthusiastic knock on the door. “I’m coming!” he yelled as he threw on a shirt and ran towards the door. After swinging it open he was greeted by the always cheerful otoya wearing a red t-shirt and gray pajama bottoms. Syo noticed he was also carrying a rather full backpack. “Hey, did you bring a sleeping bag? You can just take Natsuki’s bed, he won’t mind” he suggested.

A panicked expression made its way onto Otoya’s face as he answered, “No, I just brought snacks! I didn’t know what you liked so I brought a bit of everything, Tokiya said popcorn would be fine, but then I thought, _Well, what if Syo doesn’t like popcorn? I would feel bad,_ so I brought chocolate, some candy, and some drinks, too. I hope that’s okay!”

Syo looked confused. Of course he was okay with it, why wouldn’t he be okay with it? He just smiled and nodded before stepping away from the door. “That was really cool of you, thanks. Come in, by the way, unless you wanna watch the show from outside.”

Otoya laughed as he walked into Syo’s dorm. He sat on the small sofa while Syo set up the DVD. Looking around he noticed that Syo’s room was much…simpler than his. Other than Syo’s hat collection on the wall and an alarming amount of Piyo-chan merchandise on Natsuki’s bed, there really wasn’t much else, and it gave the room a very comforting and friendly vibe. Otoya thought to himself that he wouldn’t mind coming here often, if they would let him of course. Syo pressed play on the DVD remote as he sat down next to Otoya, who pulled out some drinks from his backpack and offered one to Syo.

Throughout the marathon, Otoya asked Syo a lot of questions about the show, and at first he was scared that Syo would find it annoying. Otoya was happily surprised when he found that Syo _loved_ being asked questions and went on tangents about the show and the actors, specifically his beloved Hyuga-sensei and his amazing action sequences. This conversation led to Syo ranting about how he wanted to work hard to become a great idol, which led to him asking Otoya about his goals in the academy. Otoya excitedly started talking about how music had always been a part of his life and how he’d always dreamt of making others happy with his music. Syo added that he felt the same, and the two of them continued talking about their hopes and dreams not only as idols, but as people, too.

They didn’t realize that the entire DVD had played until Otoya let out a yawn and Syo looked at his phone to see that it was almost midnight. “Man, it’s late,” he said, putting his phone down. “Sorry about that, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten.”

“It’s fine!” Otoya smiled at him. “I had fun with you, thank you!”

Syo smiled back at him as he got up. “I had fun, too! Now help me get all this Piyo-chan merch off Natsuki’s bed so you have a place to sleep tonight, I don’t really think Saotome would be too happy with you roaming the halls this late at night.”

Otoya thanked him again before helping Syo remove the stuffed animals from the bed. Once they were done, they both took turns brushing their teeth and got into their respective beds. Syo was beginning to drift off when he heard light humming coming from Otoya’s side of the room, smiling as he recognized the song.

“That’s the song Nanami wrote for you, right?”

Otoya nodded and smiled. “It’s really good right? That song really means a lot to me, she really gets me you know?”

Syo laughed lightly. “Yeah, Nanami is just like that. She understands everyone without even trying.” He paused before asking, “Hey, Otoya, do you like Nanami?”

“Of course I do! Everyone likes Nanami, right?”

“Well, I mean, yeah, I just meant maybe you… _like_ like her.” He didn’t have to look to know that Otoya’s face matched his hair.

“N-no! No way! It’s not like that! Really! She’s just a friend!”

Syo laughed at the poor boy, seriously, he could get flustered so easily, and Syo wasn’t done teasing him quite yet. “Well, then who do you like?”

“No one!” he answered quickly. _Too_ quickly.

“Otoya, are you lying to—“

“I’m not! Goodnight!” Otoya quickly pulled the covers over his face and turned his body away from Syo. It was kinda cute seeing him flustered like that.

“Aw, c’mon Otoya, you can tell me! It’s not like I’m gonna tell them!”

“It’s not that,” Otoya began as he came out from under the covers, “it’s just that I’m not _supposed_ to like this person.”

“Oh, do you mean because of the love ban?”

“Well, yeah, but also — no nevermind, please forget it.”

Had this been anyone else, Syo would have moved on and let it go, but something in Otoya’s tone told Syo that this was something that was eating at him, and he wouldn’t — _couldn’t —_ let his friend suffer on his own.

“Hey, Otoya, is there a reason you can’t tell me?” Syo could see Otoya nod slightly. “Are you afraid of telling me?” Another nod. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to stop being my friend.”

Syo could feel his already fragile heart break. “Hey, Otoya! You idiot! Why would I stop being your friend over a dumb crush? It’s fine if you don’t tell me, but don’t think I’d ever stop liking you just because of who you like!”

“Syo, do you really mean that?”

“Duh!”

Otoya smiled slightly before taking a deep breath and whispering, “Tokiya.”

Tokiya? What did he have to do with anything? Did Tokiya know who Otoya liked? Was Tokiya making Otoya feel bad about his crush?   
“What about Tokiya?”

“It’s Tokiya.”

“What’s Tokiya?”

“Syo!”

“What?!”

“ _The person I like is Tokiya!”_

Oh.

_Oh._

Syo’s silence just scared Otoya even more. “See? I knew it! Agh, I shouldn’t have said an—“

“ _You!_ You too! Otoya! You like boys, too! Oh, thank God!”

“Eh? Syo? Are you okay?”

“Okay? I’m great! This is great Otoya, I’m so happy you told me!” Syo thought his face would break if he smiled any longer but he couldn’t help it.

Otoya finally processed what had happened in the last 15 seconds. “..like boys, too…Wait a minute, Syo! You, too!”

“Yeah, didn’t you hear me?”

He couldn’t believe it. Syo liked boys, too? Syo liked boys, too! Syo was his friend and he liked music just like him and soccer just like him _and boys just like him._

They both sat there in comfortable silence for what seemed like hours, fully processing what had just happened in the span of only a few minutes. Otoya was really glad that he opened up to Syo about this, and he felt silly for thinking Syo would think any differently of him. Even if Syo wasn’t gay, he knew that he would accept him with open arms just like he would anyone else, and he was so thankful that he had him as a friend. It was Syo that finally broke the silence.

“So, Tokiya huh? That’s so weird.”

“What? Why is that weird? Are you making fun of me again?”

“No! No, I’m not, it’s just that you’re so fun and nice and all smiley and stuff and Tokiya is so…so _Tokiya,_ you know what I mean?”

“Hey, I know Tokiya can seem really mean sometimes but I promise he’s not! He’s the best roommate ever! He listens to me and gives me advice and helps me with my homework and he’s…he’s…”

“He’s…?”

“He’s _so cute,_ Syo. I like him a lot.”

Syo couldn’t believe it what he was hearing, but Otoya seemed to be thoroughly convinced that Tokiya was his dream man and who was he to crush the poor boy’s dream? No, Syo was better than that, he was Otoya’s new best friend! And what are best friends for if not encouraging you to follow your heart, even when your heart might be a little out of tune? “Well, maybe he likes you back.”

Otoya blinked. “What? Me? No way, I bet he’s barely starting to consider me his friend! Besides, what if he doesn’t like boys?”

Syo was about to argue that there was no way that Tokiya was straight, but then again Tokiya seemed to defy any and all expectations placed on him so maybe this would be no different. However, Syo would rather die than let his friend pine over his other friend (classmate?) without knowing if he even had a chance, so he decided right then and there: “I’ll help you find out!”


	2. Chapter 2

_7:32 a.m._

_To: Ren_

_Hey are u busy after school? i need ur help with smthn_

 

_7:34 a.m._

_From: Ren_

_depends on what it is_ ;)

 

_7:37 a.m._

_To: Ren_

_yea yea i’ll tell u when we meet up just say yes_

_n fuck off with those winky faces_

 

_7:42 a.m._

_From: Ren_

_sure thing shorty_ ;) ;)

 

There were a lot of things Syo disliked, Natsuki’s cooking for example, but the one thing he disliked the most was asking Ren for help. Not only was it a blow to his ego, but he hated the way Ren could just solve basically any problem without even trying, like a total ass. It wasn’t like he _needed_ Ren’s help with this, really. Deep down, however, he knew that in order to help Otoya with his crush problem, Ren could be extremely useful. So, swallowing his pride, he decided to involve Ren.

Class came and went in the blink of an eye, and before Syo knew it, it was lunchtime. Syo usually went to the school’s cafeteria for lunch, choosing to spend his time with Haruka and bouncing off music ideas off each other. Before he could leave class, he was stopped by the one and only Ren Jinguji.

“So, shorty, are you going to tell me what you need my help with?”

“Are you going to stop calling me short?!” he responded, irritated.

Ren laughed, it was so amusing to him how only one word could anger Syo so much. “Mhm, for now. So, what is it?”

“I can’t tell you _now_ , idiot, that’s why I asked to meet up after school. Besides, don’t you have half of the girls in this school waiting for you outside?”

Ren winked as he replied, “You’re absolutely right, I should get going. It’s very rude to keep the ladies waiting. Why don’t you come to my dorm after class and we’ll talk about whatever it is you need me for?”

Oh, how Syo _hated_ Ren’s tone, but he couldn’t say anything. _C’mon, you can do it, for Otoya._ “Yeah, I’ll see you then.”

Syo spent lunch with Haruka like usual and they talked about Haruka’s upcoming project. The idols in her class were to pick any song they wanted, and it was up to their composer to rearrange the song so that it would match the idol’s singing voice and style. Haruka had been paired up with Tomochika for this assignment, and while she was excited to work with her best friend, she was scared that her rearrangement wouldn’t live up to Tomochika’s expectations.

“She’s just so cool and determined, and I want her song to show that and to bring out the best in her. I really hope I can do a good job with this,” she sighed, taking a sip from her drink.

Syo smiled at her as he patted her head. “I know you’ll do great, Nanami. You’re the best composter I know.”

She blushed as she argued, “No way, I’m barely learning! But, thank you, Syo. I’m glad I can count on you to cheer me on.” She gave a shy smile as she finished the last of her food. “I have to go now, I promised Tomochika we would meet up again to talk more about the project. Let’s talk again tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay!” he said, flashing her a bright smile. “Good luck, Nanami!”

Syo finished his lunch on his own and when the bell ran, he made his way back to the classroom. Class began and Hyuga began by talking about their newest project. He was met by a bunch of groans and complaints.

“Come on, Hyuga-sensei,” one student interrupted. “We just turned in a huge project three days ago, and now we have another project on top of all of our other homework? That’s not fair, give us a break!”

“If you can’t handle this much work then you’re definitely welcome to transfer to another class. How does C Class sound?” That was enough to shut everyone up; they had all worked hard to make it into S Class, they weren’t about to give up their seats because of a few complaints.  Hyuga cleared his throat as he explained the assignment.

“As idols, you will not only be working on your own, but hopefully collaborating with other artists as well, coming from different backgrounds and singing in different styles. As composers, you will need to learn how to write songs that bring out the best of each idol in a collaboration, making sure they both share the spotlight and make each other shine. So, for this assignment, those in the idol course will need to pair up with someone from a different class to write lyrics together. Once partners are selected, those in the composer course will be in charge of writing a song that, as mentioned before, brings out the best from those idols. Composers, you can relax for now, since you don’t have anyone to write songs for yet. Idols, your job is to find a partner by the end of the week. Next week, you’ll be assigned a composer and I’ll give you further instructions from there. Class is dismissed for today.”

The classroom was filled with sounds of ruffling papers, moving desks, and, loudest of all, talk about the latest assignment. Everyone was deciding who they should pair up with, what kind of lyrics they should write, what composer they would like to get, and even if this would be the assignment that would allow them to debut at the end of the year. Syo’s mind, however, was elsewhere, focused solely on how to help his dear friend with his love life.

As he finished packing he saw Ren was still sitting at his desk, surrounded by almost all the female composers practically begging him to let them write his song. Syo didn’t want to stick around as he flirted with all of them and said dumb cheesy things to them, so he decided it was best to go back to his dorm, get changed, then go to talk to Ren.

It was about an hour later when Masato heard a knock on the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, so he figured it must be one of Ren’s many admirers coming to confess to him or something along those lines. Opening the door, he didn’t expect to be greeted by, well, Syo.

“Oh, hey Masato. Is Ren here?”

Masato nodded. “He’s in the shower. Would you like to come in and wait for him?”

“Nah, I can just come back later, I don’t want to bother you if you’re busy.”

“It’s fine, please come in.” Masato stepped aside and let Syo into the dorm. “You can take a seat wherever, would you like some tea while you wait?”

“Oh, yeah! Thank you!” Syo smiled as he sat down on the sofa. Masato poured both of them tea and they waited in silence. It wasn’t uncomfortable, not in the slightest, in fact Syo liked Masato’s company because he was very calming to be around, something Syo wasn’t really used to but he didn’t mind.

Syo was almost done with his tea when Ren came out from the bathroom. “Oh, shorty, you’re here already. Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“If you were really sorry you’d stop ca—“

“Stop calling you shorty? Not a chance. Now, what did you need my help with?” he asked, taking a seat across from him, next to Masato.

“Well, you’re friends with Tokiya right?”

“Woah, ‘friends’ is a strong word. I like Icchi, he’s hardworking and he’s got skills, no one can deny that, but he doesn’t seem to trust that many people. I don’t think he’s a bad person, but I’m not sure he’d consider me his friend.”

Syo groaned. “Great, this will never work then.”

“What won’t work? Did you want information on him? I didn’t take you as the gossipy type. That’s why I like you so much, you’re always full of surprises.”

“Please keep your awful flirting to you and your fangirls. Anyway, I’m not here to gossip. You seem to know a lot about dating so—“

“ _Seem?_ Shorty, I _know_ a lot about dating. Go on.”

Syo rolled his eyes as he continued. “Since you _definitely_ know about dating, I need your help setting Tokiya up on a date.”

If Ren wasn’t intrigued before he definitely was now. Tokiya was very popular amongst the whole school, anyone would have to be blind not to notice that. But rarely anyone ever approached them, much less confessed to him. He was just _that_ intimidating, hell, he even gave Haruka a hard time, and Haruka was the nicest girl any of these boys had ever met. So, who on earth would have their eyes set on him?

“You get along better with him than I do,” Ren stated, “so I don’t think there’s anything I can do that you wouldn’t be able to. I doubt he’d listen to me if I even mentioned a girl, considering the love ban and everything.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I don’t think the love ban would really apply here.”

Ren raised his eyebrow. Even Masato had stopped drinking his tea to listen in. _What on the hell is he talking about?_ they both seemed to think.

“Ren — and Masato, since I know you’re listening — what I’m about to say can’t leave this room.”

He suddenly sounded so serious it scared them.

“Otoya likes Tokiya.”

Ren and Masato looked at each other before they both…laughed? Why are they laughing?

“Shorty, do you really think this is news?”

“Eh?”

Masato spoke for the first time since Ren entered the room. “Ittoki is many things, but subtle is not one of them. I’m surprised Tokiya himself doesn’t know, since they share a room and all.”

“Huh?”

“Seriously, how did you not realize this sooner? Ikki gets so flustered when anyone even mentions him, it’s kinda cute.”

Syo was about to lose it. “Do you mean to tell me everyone except me knew about this?! I thought Otoya hadn’t told anyone!”

Masato couldn’t help but feel bad for him. “Ittoki hasn’t outright told any of us, if it makes you feel better. This the first time we’re getting an actual confirmation for it. You should be happy he trusts you enough to be the first person he tells this to.”

He’d never admit it out loud, but Syo was very happy to hear that, and he couldn’t help but feel his ego swell with pride as he realized that out of everyone he could’ve gone to, Otoya came to him first. Pushing that aside, he went back to what he had come here for.

“Well, now that you know, do you have any ideas on how to get them together?”

Masato shook his head, but Ren was smirking. “I think I have a great idea. Truly, I am the god of love.”

“Just hurry and spit it out already,” Syo grumbled.

Ren couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at Syo’s impatience. “Two words: Duet project.”

The duet project! Of course! Why hadn’t he thought of that sooner? “That’s perfect! Except…how do we get Tokiya to choose Otoya?”

“Convince Ichinose that picking Ittoki as a partner will guarantee success,” said Masato as if that would be the easiest task.

All three of them thought about how to do that, but suddenly Ren came up with a simple yet brilliant idea. “Oi, shorty, why don’t you tell Otoya about the duet project first? If Otoya suggests being his partner to help him out, Tokiya won’t say no. It also takes the pressure of asking people off Tokiya’s shoulders, making Otoya appear like the angel he is, and boom, he falls in love. I'm amazing. You’re welcome.”

Syo was going to tell him to stop being stupid, but he was right: that plan _could_ work. He was kind of happy that he had gone to Ren for help, because he knew that if he tried to figure this out on his own, he would over think it and end up coming up with something that would probably lower Otoya’s chances of getting with Tokiya. He was actually getting really excited, he couldn't wait to see Otoya's face when he told him about the plan. He quickly got up, thanked Ren and Masato for all of their help, and ran back to his room.

 

_8:12 p.m._

_To: Otoya_

_dude!! i know how to get u and tokiya 2gether!! meet me after school 2morrow ok?_

 

_8:19 p.m._

_From: Otoya_

_( > _ 人 _ <) you really came up with something for me????? you’re too nice!! (^_^) _

 

_8:21 p.m._

_To: Otoya_

_theres nothin i cant do! just remember 2 invite me 2 the wedding as ur best man!_

 

_8:27 p.m._

_you’re the greatest man!_ ヽ _(^_ ◇ _^*)/ thank you syo! ~_ ☆

 

There was a lot of things Syo liked, collecting hats for example, but the one thing he liked the most was making Otoya smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i would like to thank not only god but jesus aka my friends diana and [cori](http://archiveofourown.org/users/crypticisms/) for helping me edit this fic, i owe them my life
> 
> anyway thank u so much 2 everyone that’s read so far, i hope u guys are enjoying it ! im gonna try n update this once week ^^


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guess who's back (:

“Hey, Shorty, can you stop shaking your leg? It’s distracting.”

Syo looked up from his food to see Ren scribbling something in his notebook, then back down to his leg to see that it was, in fact, shaking. “Oh, sorry about that… and stop calling me Shorty! I get it!”

Ren just laughed as he continued his writing. “So, why exactly did you want to meet up during lunch? Shouldn’t you be helping Ikki right now?”

“I’m meeting him after school so it’s okay! Besides, I kinda wanted to ask you for a favor,” Syo said, his voice growing quieter with each word.

Ren raised an eyebrow at this. “Oh? Another one? My, my, Shorty, you’ve sure gotten comfortable around me.”

Syo just rolled his eyes. “Honestly, how do you have any friends when you act like this? You’re really like this to everyone? For reals? And people  _ like  _ you? For reals?”

“You know, if you want my help you should consider being a little bit nicer to me. Your words, they wound me. I’m a very sensitive man, after all.” Ren put on what Syo would describe as the most unconvincing pained expression he’d ever seen. 

“Whatever, just say you’ll help me and I’ll get Natsuki to make you cupcakes.”

Ren’s eyes gleamed for a split second, but that was enough for Syo to know that he had won him over. He was the only person Syo knew—probably the only person anyone in the history of the world knew—that genuinely enjoyed Natsuki’s god forsaken cooking. Natsuki enjoyed cooking for others, but thanks to Syo’s brave interference he cooked less often than before. And now, Syo was about to exploit his tall, naive roommate for his own gain.  _ Forgive me, Natsuki. _

“One dozen. Extra tapatio sauce.”

“Done and done.”

“So,” Ren said, putting away his notebook, “what do I need to do?”

  
  


Syo sat at an empty table in the cafeteria waiting for Otoya to show up. The cafeteria was usually empty during this time, save for a few students grabbing a quick bite before their after school activities or others working on homework because the library is too crowded. This was the perfect place and time to execute Plan “Get Otoya and Tokiya Together and Hope They Live Happily Ever After.” His first objective: convince Otoya to go along with it.  _ It won’t be that hard, right?  _ he thought to himself.

“Syo! Sorry I’m late, did I keep you waiting long?” Syo looked up to see Otoya taking a seat in front of him. His face seemed a little flushed, and his hair was a bit messier than usual.  _ Oh my God, he ran here. That’s so cute. _

Syo flashed him a toothy grin as he replied, “No worries, I just got here myself! How was class?”

“It was good! We just reviewed some old stuff to prepare for our class project next week.” He set his stuff down and began trying to fix his hair. “Oh, speaking of projects, didn’t S Class just get assigned another one already? You guys sure have it tough.”

“It’s nothing we can’t handle! Besides, we haven’t actually done anything yet.”

“What’s the new project?” Otoya asked curiously.

“I’m glad you asked! We have to partner up with another idol and write a song together, which is a perfect opportunity for you to get closer to Tokiya!” He smiled triumphantly, but stopped when he saw Otoya’s face turn bright red.

“N-n-no way! He’d never wanna partner up with me! He’s always nagging me about my lyrics and my singing, wouldn’t he be better off with someone like… I don’t know! Just not me!”

Ah. Syo wasn’t expecting that reaction.

“Hey, let’s calm down, alright? I know Tokiya can be… _ Tokiya,  _ but I think deep down he knows that you’re crazy talented. I also know that he would be so uncomfortable asking anyone to help him, so why don’t you just bring it up? If he says no, then at least you tried, right?” Syo tried sounding as encouraging as possible, and luckily for him, it worked.

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right, Syo! When I get back to our dorm I’ll try asking him!” he said with his trademark smile.

This is where Syo’s afternoon was going to go from good to great. “Why don’t you ask him now?”

“Eh?”

Almost as if on cue, Ren and Tokiya entered the cafeteria and slowly made their way to their table. Otoya’s eyes went wide and he refused to look at them — specifically Tokiya.

“Syo! You planned this?”

“You’ll thank me later, trust me!”

Otoya was about to tell him that this was a terrible idea and there was no way Tokiya didn’t know that they were up to something, but before he could so much as open his mouth, Ren had taken a seat next to him.

“Hey, Ikki, long time no see,” he said, wrapping his arm around him.

Tokiya quietly took a seat next to Syo. “You know, Jinguji, I was really...flattered about you asking me to ‘hang out’ with you but I really should head back to my room. I have a lot of work to do.”

“Icchi, you’re too boring. Relax for a bit, will you? Besides, you haven’t even found a duet partner yet so you really don’t have any work to do.”

Tokiya cleared his throat before replying, “I have work outside of this academy that I need to attend to, and we have until the end of the week to find a partner for this project. I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine.”

“Aww c’mon Tokiya, don’t be like that,” Syo said, trying to get him to do anything except leave the table. “Have you guys thought about who you want as your partner?”

“Me? I’ve got Hijirin wrapped around my finger, not that he’d ever admit it, so I don’t have to worry. What about you, Shorty? You gonna bully Shinomii into singing with you?”

Syo laughed at that. “If anything, it’s the other way around. Natsuki would kill me if he found out I was doing this project with anyone else. Hey Tokiya, who are you thinking of asking?”

“That’s none of your business,” he replied frankly.

Otoya watched this exchange nervously. Seeing how much Tokiya wanted to be anywhere but there just made him feel more self conscious. What if he didn’t want to be here because of him? They already share a room so it would be understandable if Tokiya had grown tired of spending time with him. And now he was going to suggest being his partner? Tokiya would surely get even more annoyed.

His train of thought was interrupted by Syo checking his phone and suddenly getting up. “Shit guys, I have to go. Natsuki’s in the kitchen  _ again  _ and I have to stop him before there’s a body count. I’ll see you guys later!” he said before running off. Ren shrugged and got up as well.

“Huh? Where are you going?” Otoya asked, looking up at him.

“It pains me to leave you, my dearest Ikki, but Shorty won’t be able to stop Shinomii on his own. Take care off Icchi for me, okay?” he ruffled Otoya’s hair before walking off as well.

Otoya watched him go before turning to look at Tokiya. Tokiya was wearing a neutral expression, like always, but Otoya just knew that he was annoyed. He didn’t know what to say, but as he opened his mouth so say something, Tokiya spoke.

“Jinguji is up to something. He would never let Kurusu stop Shinomiya from cooking anything. Otoya, do you know anything about this?” he asked.

“Huh? M-me? I don’t know anything about anything!” he replied while trying to keep his cool. He very obviously failed.

“So you do know,” Tokiya sighed. “Please just tell me what those two have planned so I can tell them to knock it off before they get in trouble.”

Otoya fumbled with his hands as he replied, “Don’t be too hard on them, Tokiya. They’re just worried about you. Syo told me about the duet project and how about you didn’t have a partner and he said that-“

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Yes it is because I li — because you’re my friend! And friends help each other out! It’ll be the end of the week before you know it so why don’t you—” he took in a deep breath and, in the softest voice, no more than a whisper, he said, “why don’t you pick me?”

Tokiya raised an eyebrow. “You want to be my partner?” Otoya nodded slowly. “Why?”

“I want to help you out and—”

“Why do you want to help me?”

Otoya opened his mouth to speak but no words could come out. What could he say?  _ Because you sing like an angel and it would make me so happy to sing alongside you?  Because you inspire me so much and being able to work with you like this would mean the world to me? Because even if it’s only this much, I want to be there for you? _

“Because we’re friends, isn’t that enough?” 

Tokiya got up from his seat without a word and began walking off. Dumbfounded, Otoya got up and went after him.

“Hey, Tokiya, are you mad at me?” Tokiya just kept on walking. “Tokiya! I won’t know if you don’t tell me so please just-“

“On Monday,” he interrupted, “we will get to choose a composer for our project. If you know any composers in S Class that you would like to write our song, let me know before then. If not, I will choose.” He turned around to face Otoya. “Does that sound good to you?”

_ We will choose…our project…our song…oh. _

_ Oh!! _

Otoya smiled wide and nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds great, Tokiya! I won’t let you down! Thank you!”

“Idiot,” he whispered, “you’re the one helping me, I should be thanking you. So, thank you,” he said before walking off.

Otoya couldn’t help but tear up a little bit. He did it? He did it! He had managed to get Tokiya to work with him! Syo’s plan worked!

  
  


Syo and Ren had been watching the whole thing go down from the cafeteria window. It was surprising that they hadn’t been caught seeing as how the window was pretty close to their table and neither of them were familiar with the word “subtlety,” but luck seemed to be on their side that day.

“I can’t believed that actually worked,” Syo sighed with relief.

“Hey, I told you it would. I’m surprised Icchi caught on to what we were up to so quickly,” Ren added. “Well, my job here is done, if you need any more advice from the love expert, you know where to find me,” he winked as he patted Syo’s hat.

“Hey, Ren. Thanks. I mean it,” Syo said softly.

“Hm? You didn’t really strike me as the sentimental type, but you’re welcome,” he replied with a smirk.

“Yeah, yeah,” Syo laughed, “don’t get used to it. Do you think they’ll be okay?”

“Hmm…Ikki has a lot of love to give but he can be really dense, and Icchi is… well, you know exactly how Icchi is. They’ll have some trouble, but I’m sure that if they both want the same thing, they’ll work hard for it.”

Syo smiled at that. “You’re right. I really hope things work out for them, Otoya deserves this.”

Ren didn’t comment that Syo’s expression seemed to soften whenever he mentioned Otoya, his eyes seeming to glow and his cheeks getting slightly pink. He didn’t bring up how Syo was going out of his way to get others involved, swallowing his pride and asking for help when Ren knew deep down Syo would much rather do things on his own. He simply smiled and replied with a small nod before walking back to his dorm, Syo doing the same.

  
  


“Hey, Natsuki, can you do me a favor?”

“Oh? Anything for you, Syo-chan!” Natsuki said, picking Syo up and spinning him around. “What can I do for you?”

“P-put me down first!” Syo screamed as he tried to get Natsuki to let go of him. Natsuki smiled as he put him back on his bed.

“So what is it?”

Syo asked God to forgive him for the crime he was about to commit against mankind.

“Can you... make cupcakes for me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha remember when i said i'd update once a week like a liar .... sorry about that guys i really thought i could do that but ALAS...I CANNOT ! anyway i WILL finish this fic so i hope you will all continue to be patient w me ^^ thank u so much for all the nice comments they fuel my ego to no end !!! anyway shoutout again to my lovely frendz chinch + diana who helped me proofread this shit n also encouraged me to keep going !!


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